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In 1923 Mother Tolliver and Mother Reese pioneered the Washington State Jurisdiction through prayer.  Overseer Van Goodlow was appointed as the first Overseer and Bishop of the State of Washington by our founder, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, and appointed Mother Rita Douglas as the first Supervisor of Women in the State of Washington. Mother Rita Douglas was always an encourager of the women to utilize the gifts God had given them.  

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Part of our Washington State Jurisdiction history that many do not know about is that our Department of Women is blessed to claim Mother Dr. Mattie Carter McGlothen who was appointed (Interim) Jurisdictional Supervisor of the States of Washington and California by Mother Lizzie Roberson (first General Supervisor) on December 13, 1939.  Dr. McGlothen served as the Interim State Mother until 1942 when Mother Rita Douglas was appointed as our 1st State Mother by Overseer Goodlow.

 

In 1951, Mother Rita  Douglas held the first Women's Convention in the State of Washington, and she appointed Mother Willa Reese to serve as the Women's Convention Chairperson. She then took Mother Gertrude Young and Mother Willa Reese by the hand and they worked together in the women's ministry for over 4 decades, thus beginning a mighty relationship for effective ministry.  Washington State Jurisdiction was blessed with the leadership of Mother Rita Douglas who was a much sought-after leader (who also worked within the California Southwest Jurisdiction Department of Women).

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The ministry work in Washington State spread and Dr. Alfred C. Davis, Sr. began the mission work in Everett out of the home of Mother G. Brown's sister in 1961.

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Due to the untimely death of Mother Rita Douglas in 1964, Bishop Van Goodlow selected Mother Gertrude Young and Mother Lula Powell to serve in an interim capacity to co-coordinate the women's work in this State.

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Mother Gertrude Young was appointed in November of 1964 as Washington State’s 2nd Jurisdictional Supervisor and served under Bishop Goodlow, Bishop T.J. Kinlow, Bishop R.E. Altheimer, and Bishop T.L. Westbrook. In 1997, she appointed Mother Bernice Altheimer as 1st Assistant Supervisor and Mother Willa Reese as 2nd Assistant Supervisor of the Jurisdictional Women's Department. Under her leadership, the Women's Department developed several auxiliaries and gained national attention within the Church of God in Christ.  Mother Gertrude Young served faithfully on various International COGIC and International COGIC Department of Women boards, units, projects and auxiliaries including Chair of the International Examining Board for Supervisors and International Workers, National Trustee Board Member, Co-Chairperson of the Board of Directors for all Women’s National Properties, and the International Chair of the Executive Board Women's Department, which made her the 2nd highest ranking woman in the Church of God in Christ, serving under Mother Willie Mae Rivers, General Supervisor.

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After the home going of Mother Gertrude Young in 2014, Mother Curlie Davis was chosen to lead the women in the State of Washington as its 3rd Jurisdictional Supervisor.  Mother Curie Davis served under Bishop Leo C. Brown. Jr. and then under the Interim Prelate, Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop.  Internationally she served on the Advisory Board of the International Department Of Women serving under Mother Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis, General Supervisor.  Under her leadership, our Jurisdiction celebrated it's Golden 50th Women’s Convention on April 21-23, 2021.  After a tenure of 6 years, Mother Curlie Davis stepped down from this position on May 31, 2021.

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After Mother Curlie Davis became a Supervisor Without Charge, on July 26, 2021 Bishop (Designee) Alvin C. Moore, Sr. selected Mother Gwendolyn Lawson Townsend, who also serves as the International Department of Women Executive Secretary, to serve as the 4th Jurisdictional Supervisor in succession...and the excellent work of the Washington State Jurisdiction Department of Women continues.

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We thank God for the women who served, and for those who continue to roll up their sleeves within our State (both credentialed and non-credentialed), to bring historical as well as ecclesiastical progress to our great Washington State Jurisdiction.

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